Volume 31, Number 3—March 2025
Synopsis
Epidemiology of Buruli Ulcer in Victoria, Australia, 2017–2022
Bhavi Ravindran
, Daneeta Hennessy, Miriam O’Hara, Ee Laine Tay, Rosalina Sa’aga Banuve, Jodie McVernon, and Kylie Carville
, Daneeta Hennessy, Miriam O’Hara, Ee Laine Tay, Rosalina Sa’aga Banuve, Jodie McVernon, and Kylie Carville
Table 1
Characteristics of BU cases notified to the Victoria Department of Health, overall and by location of residence, Victoria, Australia, 2017–2022*
| Variable |
Overall, n = 1,751 |
BU area |
p value |
||
| New, n = 163 |
Non–BU-endemic, n = 604 |
Established, n = 984 |
|||
| Sex | <0.05 | ||||
| F | 781 (45) | 78 (48) | 244 (40) | 459 (47) | |
| M | 968 (55) | 84 (52) | 359 (60) | 525 (53) | |
| Missing |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
| Age group, y | <0.001 | ||||
| 0-15 | 148 (8.5) | 16 (9.8) | 58 (9.6) | 74 (7.5) | |
| 16-60 | 883 (50) | 90 (55) | 352 (58) | 441 (45) | |
| >60 |
720 (41) |
57 (35) |
194 (32) |
469 (48) |
|
| Lesion location | <0.05 | ||||
| Arm | 350 (21) | 41 (27) | 101 (17) | 208 (23) | |
| Leg | 1,206 (74) | 103 (68) | 460 (78) | 643 (71) | |
| Multiple | 37 (2.3) | 4 (2.6) | 15 (2.6) | 18 (2.0) | |
| Other | 47 (2.9) | 4 (2.6) | 12 (2.0) | 31 (3.4) | |
| Missing |
111 |
11 |
16 |
84 |
|
| WHO lesion category | <0.05 | ||||
| I | 1,301 (83) | 114 (77) | 462 (81) | 725 (85) | |
| II | 176 (11) | 21 (14) | 77 (13) | 78 (9.2) | |
| III | 95 (6.0) | 14 (9.4) | 32 (5.6) | 49 (5.8) | |
| Missing |
179 |
14 |
33 |
132 |
|
| Year of notification | 0.001 | ||||
| 2017 | 277 (16) | 12 (7.4) | 110 (18) | 155 (16) | |
| 2018 | 340 (19) | 10 (6.1) | 125 (21) | 205 (21) | |
| 2019 | 299 (17) | 19 (12) | 115 (19) | 165 (17) | |
| 2020 | 217 (12) | 16 (9.8) | 69 (11) | 132 (13) | |
| 2021 | 284 (16) | 41 (25) | 78 (13) | 165 (17) | |
| 2022 |
334 (19) |
65 (40) |
107 (18) |
162 (16) |
|
| Treatment | 0.001 | ||||
| Antibiotics | 1,144 (71) | 111 (73) | 386 (66) | 647 (75) | |
| Antibiotics and surgery | 332 (21) | 34 (22) | 159 (27) | 139 (15) | |
| Other | 90 (5.6) | 6 (3.9) | 21 (3.6) | 63 (7.3) | |
| Surgical | 38 (2.4) | 1 (0.7) | 16 (2.7) | 21 (2.4) | |
| Missing |
147 |
11 |
22 |
114 |
|
| Diagnosis delay, d, median (IQR) | 19 (7–42) | 22 (9–44) | 31 (13–58) | 13 (6–31) | <0.001 |
| Missing |
209 |
20 |
48 |
141 |
|
| Presentation d, median, (IQR) | 28 (11–50) | 27 (9–45) | 30 (14–61) | 24 (10–47) | 0.001 |
| Missing |
251 |
21 |
60 |
170 |
|
| Manifestation | <0.05 | ||||
| Nonulcer | 387 (24) | 50 (33) | 129 (22) | 208 (24) | |
| Ulcer | 1,227 (76) | 102 (67) | 454 (78) | 671 (76) | |
| Missing | 137 | 11 | 21 | 105 | |
*Values are no. (%) except as indicated. Percentages exclude missing data. BU, Buruli ulcer; IQR, interquartile range; WHO, World Health Organization.
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Page updated: February 28, 2025
Page reviewed: February 28, 2025
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